Dice represent what is perhaps the oldest game of chance in human history. Dice have been found in ancient archeological digs and many civilizations have writings which reference their use in games of chance. It is believed that the earliest forms of dice were marked animal knuckles. The common six-sided cubic die has been found in ancient Roman ruins, complete with 1-6 pips on each side.
Modern uses of dice tend to focus on games of chance, whether rolling a set of dice to achieve a particular score or number or using dice to simulate activities in a role-playing game. Particularly in role-playing games, many different shapes of dice may be utilized—the most common being the d20 system originated by Wizards of the West Coast in the 1970's and licensed as an open gaming system since the early 2000's. The d20 system typically utilizes 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 20-sided dies to simulate actions and their chances of success. Many other types of dies may be used, ranging from a two-sided die (essentially a coin) to 100 or more sides.
Another cultural use of a die has been the “Magic 8-ball” by Mattel, Inc. The ball, made in varying diameters and colors and usually marked with an “8” so as to resemble the number 8 billiards ball, is hollow and filled with alcohol, usually dyed blue. Inside is a floating 20-sided die with a saying that would indicate either yes, no, maybe, or try again. A viewer is provided on one side. The game is an approximation of a fortune teller, where a user asks a yes or no question, flips the 8-ball around and the 20-sided die floats until it rests against the viewer so that the user may then read the “answer” from the 8-ball.
However, every die suffers from the same drawback, they are set in what they display. While this is fine if one is just rolling for numbers, it does not account for using a die for random decisions. A user would have to assign a result or representation to whatever die face he or she found suitable. What is needed is a customizable dice experience where the user could determine what each face of the die represented.
The present invention is a die which utilizes a central processing unit (“CPU”) and graphical displays to present a user programmable and customizable die. The present invention represents a departure from the prior art in that the die of the present invention allows for user customization of the display on each face of the die, be it a number, color, phrase, graphic, or whatever the user may desire.